FABRIC FOR A MACHINE FOR PRODUCING A FIBER WEB

Abstract

A fabric for a machine that produces a fiber web, especially a paper-, board-, tissue- or pulp web. The fabric has a flat woven base material having a top side and a bottom side, two terminal ends separated in a machine direction. Folds are formed in the flat woven base material separated in the machine direction, whereby the two terminal ends are located under the bottom side surface. The two terminal ends are arranged adjacent to each other or they overlap each other. Seam loops are located at the folds. The novel fabric has at least one woven component, that is a multi-layer weave, especially a two-layer weave.

Claims

1. A fabric for a machine for producing a fiber web, the fabric comprising: a flat woven base material having a top side and a bottom side, two terminal ends separated from one another in a machine direction; folds formed in the flat woven base material, said folds being separated in the machine direction and said two terminal ends being located under the bottom side surface; said two terminal ends being arranged adjacent one another or overlapping one another and said folds having seam loops located at said folds; and at least one woven component formed as a multi-layer weave.

2. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein said multi-layer weave is a two-layer weave.

3. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein the machine is configured to produce a paper web, a board web, a tissue web or pulp web.

4. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein said flat woven base material is a multi-layer weave.

5. The fabric according to claim 4, wherein said flat woven base material is a two-layer weave.

6. The fabric according to claim 1, which further comprises an insert located between said folds, said bottom side surface and said terminal ends arranged adjacent to one another.

7. The fabric according to claim 6, wherein said at least one insert is a woven insert.

8. The fabric according to claim 6, wherein said at least one woven insert is a multi-layer weave.

9. The fabric according to claim 8, wherein said at least one woven insert is a two-layer weave.

10. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein said two terminal ends are arranged adjacent one another or overlap one another in a region that is offset from a center between said folds.

11. The fabric according to claim 1, wherein one or more cross direction yarns are removed from said flat woven base material at one of said folds or at both of said folds in order to form said seam loops.

12. The fabric according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one layer of fibrous batt.

13. The fabric according to claim 1, formed as a seamable fabric comprising only a single seam.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0027] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are schematic views of portions of a fabric according to the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a fabric according to the invention; and

[0029] FIGS. 3A and 3B show parts of a fabric according to alternative embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1A 1B, 1C and FIG. 2, there is shown a flat woven base 1 with a top side 2 and a bottom side 3. The base fabric is woven from MD (machine direction) yarns 6 and CD (cross direction) yarns 7, 7a. The flat woven base 1 of FIG. 1 (1A, 1B, 1C) is formed as a multi-layer weave, especially a two-layer weave.

[0031] According to the invention, the flat woven base 1 is folded and terminal ends 4 of the flat woven base 1 are located under the bottom side 3. By doing so, two folds 5 are created. At these folds 5, seam loops 8 are created which can be used to create a seamable fabric. In the exemplary structure shown in FIGS. 1B, 1C and 2, the seam loops are created by removing some CD yarns 7a in the region of the folds 5. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 1C, there may be one or more stitchings to enhance the seam loops, but these stitchings might as well be omitted. There are, according to the invention, several other possibilities for form seam loops at the folds.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic overview of a flat woven base layer 1 folded according to the invention. The two terminal ends 4 of the flat woven base layer 1 are arranged adjacent to each other. The two terminal ends 4 could also overlap each other a little bit. To facilitate the production of the fabric, it can be beneficial to place the terminal ends 4 in a region offset from the center between the folds 5. This placement is especially helpful, if the terminal ends are fixed, e.g. sewn to the bottom side 3 of the flat woven base 1.

[0033] By having a flat woven base 1, that is a multi-layer weavehere: a two-layer weaveas in FIG. 2, the folding process easily creates a base structure for a fabric, e.g. a press fabric that has four woven layers and thereby providing a significant amount of void volume in the fabric. The structure shown in FIG. 2 may for example be embellished with one or more layers of fibrous batt on one side or on both sides.

[0034] FIGS. 3A and 3B show embodiments of the present invention, where the fabric further comprises an insert 10, 10a located between the folds 5. In FIG. 3A, the flat woven base weave 1 is a multi-layer weave. This insert 10 can be designed to further increase the void volume of the fabric. Depending on the desired properties, the fabric may comprise a single insert 10 or two or more inserts 10. In the case of several inserts 10, one may choose to use the same inserts 10 or different types of inserts 10.

[0035] Several materials and designs may be used as an insert 10. The insert 10 may for example be a membrane, flexible foam, a nonwoven structure like a batt layer or a foil-like structure to name just a few. By using an elastomeric material like e.g. Polyurethane in the insert 10, it is possible to enhance further fabric properties.

[0036] FIG. 3B shows a different embodiment of the present invention. Here, the insert 10a is a woven component that is a multi-layer, especially a two layer woven component. The flat woven base 1 in this embodiment may be any kind of woven structure, either a multi-layer or a single layer weave.